Hiding Behind Her Superficiality novel Chapter 481
Max noticed her eyes. They were gleaming, and he had conflicting emotions. At first, he thought she hated him or at least harbored a strong dislike, but when she showed up all smiling, Max tossed his worries behind him. “Thank you. You’ll still remain the best woman I’ve ever met.” We used to be in love.
That brings the conversation to a close. Yelena stood up, ready to leave. “May you keep shining bright for the rest of your life.”
“You too.”
That lifted a weight off Yelena’s shoulder. She heaved a sigh of relief and was about to leave.
“Oh. If he does treat you badly, come to me. I’ll always welcome you.”
“Oh, he won’t ever treat me badly,” said Yelena. There was a hint of pride in her voice, the kind of pride only a woman loved by someone could have.
“Good. Just kidding.”
Yelena came back to the lounge, where Hank was waiting for her. The light shone on him, dragging out a long shadow on the ground.
Slowly, Yelena approached Hank, and Hank smiled. “Done?” Good. That clingy Max isn’t here. His frown went away.
“Yes.” She didn’t elaborate lest it upset Hank.
“I’ll take you home then.” Hank held her hand.
They emerged from the house, but before they got in the car, Hank bent over, and Yelena felt a little shy that he was so close to her.
“What is it?”
“Nothing. I just think you look good tonight.”
If it were any other guy, Yelena would have rolled her eyes, but when it was Hank, she just thought it was alluring. “It’s getting late. We should go home.” Yelena didn’t want this to go on, or something lustful might happen. She had experience after all.
“You’re in a hurry to leave.” Hank was a little upset that she wouldn’t stop pushing him away. Why is she so scared of me? I won’t eat her.
“Nothing. Just think the air is a little bit off.”
“How so?” Hank was pushing her to say something embarrassing.
Noticing that, Yelena shot him a glare, but he didn’t really see it as a threat.
“Tell me, or we’re not leaving.”
“You’re so unreasonable.” Yelena mustered up her strength to push him away, but he wouldn’t budge.
“I’m unreasonable?” Hank suddenly didn’t want to tease her anymore, or she might just cry. “Alright, you’re off the hook.” He stood back up so she could take a breather. “Get in. I’ll take you home.”
Surprised that Hank would let her go just like that, Yelena quickly got in the car, but for some reason, she felt a little disappointed. Because nothing happened? No, what am I thinking? She shook her head.
Noticing her weird movement, Hank was amused. “What are you doing?”
Oh, no. I can’t believe I actually shook my head. Yelena wanted to run away. “I think I should get a cab.”
Hank stepped on the brakes, his smile wiped off. Taken by surprise, Yelena almost bumped into the windshield.
“Why did you stop all of a sudden?”
“Do you really not like being in the same room as me?” Hank thought her trying to run was because of the talk she had with Max, and he felt depressed. “What did he say to you?”
“Nothing. Just told me to be happy and made some small talk,” Yelena said honestly. He’s mad.
“That’s it?”
“Yeah. Nothing else.” Yelena took a quick look at him before starting at the ground.
“You’ve been trying to run away from me the whole night.” The look on her face says to stay away from me. Hank was upset about that.
Yelena averted her gaze and looked outside the window. “I’m not trying to run. Just a little uneasy, that’s all.”
Hank noticed her blush, and the sense of unease in his heart lessened. Maybe it’s not what I thought. “Why are you uneasy?” he muttered, trying to weasel the answer out of her.
“I don’t know?”
“Do you like me?” he asked.
Yelena blushed, her ears pink. “No. It’s not… I’m… It’s…”
Suddenly, Hank leaned over and huddled closer to her. Yelena could smell him, yet she didn’t move away.
He stopped about an inch away from her face, and Yelena felt a little claustrophobic.
“You’re so dishonest with your feelings.” Hank wanted to tease the timid girl. “Do you not like me then?”
Caught by surprise, Yelena didn’t know how to answer that, and she hung her head low.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Too shy?”
Yelena gulped. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Then you answer my questions.” Hank gulped and caressed her cheek. “Do you like being with me?”
Yelena wouldn’t lie about this. “Yes,” she said.
“Do you like me being with you?”
“Yes.” Whenever he was around, she felt safe. It felt like he could settle any problems for her.
“What if I were to be with some other girl?”
Yelena imagined that, and she frowned immediately.
“Then you like me.” A weight was lifted off Hank’s shoulder. As long as she likes me, then I can settle everything else.
“P-Perhaps.” Yelena was able to express her feelings easily when she was with Max. She was the one who courted him. However, she couldn’t even form a coherent sentence now. She had no idea why she became so shy.
“Do you want to be my girlfriend, then?”
The confession caught her by surprise. She looked at him. Her nose was still red from the cold because she had just gotten in the car and the heater wasn’t hot enough yet. Her eyes were glimmering like a bunny’s. Hank felt like teasing her.
A long, long while later, she blurted, “Do you like me, then?” It was a stupid question, but she had no better ones. She was at a loss.
“Why do you think I confessed?” She’s usually smart, but she’s slow now.
“I-I see.”
“So, do you want to be my girlfriend?” She’s still hesitating. I should up the ante. “If you date me, I can settle any problem for you. No questions asked.”
Yelena didn’t like hassles, and she would be at a loss every time she came across any problem. That was a great deal for her, and her eyes shone. “Really? Anything?”
“Of course. I don’t take my word back. The ball is in your court now.” Hank crossed his arms and stared at her.
“But I just broke up. Getting into a new relationship so soon is… not that good, I reckon.” She had let everything go, but still, she thought it was unfair to both Max and Hank.
“Why not? It’s been three months since you guys broke up, not three days. It’s enough time to move on for both of you.”
Yelena mused over his words.
“Besides, you guys have talked it out, and he has let things go, hasn’t he?”
“I guess so.” Yelena thought he had a point.
“Then just move forward as well. Date me.”
Yelena was surprised at how aggressive Hank was, and she was reminded of herself. He’s just like me back then. “O-Okay, then.” She couldn’t believe she had gotten herself into another relationship all of a sudden. “Why did you confess all of a sudden?”
Hank cocked his eyebrow. “I didn’t confess. You did.”
Yelena thought back on the conversation. Oh yeah. He did trick me into saying I liked him, but he never confessed.
“So, you mean to say I confessed?” I’m the one coerced into this relationship. How come I was the one who confessed? Weird.
Yelena couldn’t figure out how this happened, while Hank felt delighted. He was annoyed that Yelena courted Max. He didn’t like that she was hesitant when it came to him, but she didn’t even hesitate when it came to Max. So, he came up with a trick to make her confess today. And she fell for it. Hank was a little smug about that.
“Fine. We’re already together anyway. I should just let this slide.” In the end, Yelena chose to forget about this little episode.
“So, what’s this about you going abroad?” Hank was annoyed just mentioning that. Elspeth and Max knew, but only he didn’t.
Oh, he’s mad. I’d better explain. “Um, the management wants me to shoot a film. It’s in Wohler, so I’ll have to go abroad for about six months.”
“When are you setting off?”
“Three-thirty tomorrow.”
So that’s why Max was unusually nice. Everyone knew Max would undergo training in Wohler. The list of applicants was open to all in the company. They’ll be going to the same place, so he wanted her to stay and see if he would get any chance to rekindle old flames. Good thing the girl held on, or he would have taken her back. Glad I confessed tonight.
Hey, maybe I’m a seer. Hank heaved a sigh of relief. “I can’t go with you because I have work to do here, but if you need anything, call me. I’ll put everything on hold and go to you.”
Yelena felt warm and fuzzy inside. “Oh, it’ll be alright. I’ll call if I ever need anything.” She was getting used to relying on Hank for everything. Even if she didn’t need anything, she still would call him.
“Good girl. I’ll get you a present.” Hank turned the car around and drove toward the city center.
“But it’s late. Where are you taking me?”
Hank smiled. “You’ll see.”
They eventually arrived at the mall. It was ten at night, but the mall was still bright and alive. It was open 24 hours a day, after all. Hank led her to a jewelry store and told the staff to get him the limited-edition ring. “Get the ring I told you about last time.”
“Butterfly’s Kiss?” The retail assistant smiled.
“Yes.”
Um, he seems to know this place too well. Yelena’s mind drifted elsewhere. “You used to bring your exes here, didn’t you?” How else would he know this place so well? And he knows their products too. Very suspicious.
“Here’s the thing you want, boss.”
Boss? Yelena choked on herself. Man, that was a stupid question I asked. This is his shop. Of course, he knows it well.
The retail assistant placed the box on the table and slowly opened the lid, revealing a gleaming diamond ring with butterfly wings on the sides.
“Do you like it?”
Yelena was stupefied. The ring was immaculately designed. It’s prettier than Elspeth’s latest design. Elspeth sneezed the moment her friend had that thought. “Yeah, I love it.”
Hank held up the ring and put it over her right middle finger. “Then wear it well. This’ll tell everyone that you have a boyfriend.”
Yelena blushed. A ring on my right middle finger? That’s not a sign I’m taken. That means I’m engaged. “It’s a bit too early, isn’t it?”
“No. You’re my girlfriend.” He wore the other ring on his finger. “And don’t take it off. I want to see the ring on your finger when we have a video call every night.”
A lawyer and a bossy boyfriend. Ooh. She teased, “Someone’s bossy.”
“Only to you.” Hank looked at her lovingly.
The retail assistant’s jaw dropped. Her boss was known to be aloof and distant, and yet now he was so gentle to a young lady. Um, you sure I was supposed to hear that little conversation? Things are getting a little awkward. The retail assistant quickly said, “What else do you need, sir?”
Oh, no. Someone else is here too. This is awkward.
“No. Good job. You’ll get a bonus this month.”
The retail assistant grinned, and she sweetly said, “You have a good eye, sir. Your wife is lovely. The ring is perfect for her.”
Embarrassed, Yelena tugged on Hank’s shirt, hinting at him to leave.
That’s enough for the day. I need to give her some time to process this. So, Hank took her home.
The next day, Yelena called Elspeth and said a tearful goodbye. She told her friend to take care and not to miss her too much. Elspeth smiled and cheered her friend up, then they hung up. With Yelena gone, Elspeth had one less friend to speak to. Yelena might be a tad too talkative usually, but Elspeth would miss her when she was gone. However, right now, Elspeth had a pressing matter to tend to—the deal Haris wanted to strike with her.
Must I get a divorce? And why should I believe that my real mother is alright? That thought lingered in her head, but she didn’t know what to do. She was spacing out at work all day, even during the meeting.
One of her employees had finished their report, and they asked carefully, “What do you think, Miss Lynwood?” It was then they noticed Elspeth spacing out, and they froze.
“What did you say? I didn’t get it.”
The employee was shocked. “Were you spacing out, Miss Lynwood?” She never makes that kind of mistake. What’s wrong with her today? Everyone else was shocked as well.
Once the meeting was over, everyone came and asked Elspeth if she was fine. They thought she was spacing out because she was sick. Elspeth thanked them for their concern, but she told no one the truth. Harper then knocked on the door and came in on the pretext of handing a file to Elspeth.
“You’re a workaholic, Elsie. You wouldn’t have made that kind of mistake, so what happened?” Harper placed the file on the table and sat on the couch.
Elspeth massaged her forehead. “Maybe I need more rest. I’ve been working a lot lately, and it’s exhausting.” She was surprised she spaced out today as well.
“You couldn’t get any rest after you married Callum? Has he been keeping you up all night?”
“Shut it. I just lost some sleep.” Elspeth thought that was awkward. Keeping me up all night? Is that an innuendo?
Harper heaved a sigh and shook his head. “You weren’t like this before, Elspeth. You used to tell me everything. What’s with the secrecy?”
“I’m not trying to keep things a secret. I just don’t know how to talk about it.”
“I’m always listening. Just talk it out. I can help.”
If he insists. He’s just worried. So, Elspeth told him everything.
“So, the woman you spent so long searching for wasn’t your real mother?” Harper gaped. This is unbelievable.
“Yeah, I didn’t believe it at first, but when I compared Mom’s DNA with mine two days ago, I found something.”
“What is it?”
Elspeth put on a look of frustration. “She’s related to me, but not directly.”
Harper almost choked on himself. “So, your mother might actually be your aunt?”
“Problem is, I only have one aunt, and she killed herself years ago.”
Harper knew that. Her aunt was sexually assaulted by Callum’s uncle. She got depressed from that and killed herself. Callum’s uncle was then sent to jail. “Maybe your grandpa has more than two daughters?” Harper thought that was possible. “It’s possible. He used to be really handsome. Might have an illegitimate daughter or two.”
“He might be famous, but he has always been loyal. He never married again after Grandma died.” Elspeth rubbed her chin. “Something’s odd.”
“I can see why you spaced out. I would have taken some days off to think about it.” Harper sighed. “I’ll look into it for you. See if I can get some clues.”
“Sure. Look into it, please.”
Harper nodded and made small talk, then he left.
Elspeth sat on her chair and fell into her thoughts. Illegitimate daughter, huh? That’s the most plausible explanation for now.
‘Have you reached a decision? If you have, meet me at the usual place at five thirty.’
That was Haris’ message, but Elspeth slept in. It was the weekend, anyway. She tossed her phone away and slept until two in the afternoon. Then, she got up and got prepared to meet the old man. Callum was waiting right outside for her.
“It’s time, right?”
Elspeth knew Callum was bothered by the matter as well.
“Have you come up with a plan?” Callum looked into her eyes, a dark light glinting in his gaze.
“Not yet. How about you?” This was hard to handle for her. Her mother was at stake. She must be careful if she wanted her mother to be safe. That was why she felt restricted.
“I won’t agree to it.” I spent a lot of effort before I could finally marry her again. I won’t get a divorce just because some prick is threatening us. If I back off now, I’m not a man.
“What should we do, then?” Elspeth was in a bind. She wanted to see Haris alone. If Callum wasn’t around, Haris might just give her a couple more days to think about it for old time’s sake. Once she found out where her mother was, or at least found out who she was, then everything would be easier.
“We’ll kidnap Jasmine,” Callum said. The thought itself shocked Elspeth.
“Are you sure you’re not joking?”
“Yes. He kidnapped your mother, so we’re going after the one he loves the most.”
It was a simple idea, but that was the best option they had for now. Elspeth hesitated, however. She wouldn’t do anything like that. Most of the time, she would only retaliate when provoked.
“I know what you’re worried about. You can be swift to punish, but you’re still kind at your core.” Callum narrowed his eyes and patted her head. “I’m here. I’ll do it for you.”
She teared up. He’s being so gentle and nice. “Why are you so nice to me?” I never did anything he liked. Why would he do so much for me and ask for nothing in return?
“That’s how love works. I’ll do anything for you.” He pinched her cheek and sighed. “Don’t worry. Leave everything to me.”
Elspeth put her faith in him. They had a simple breakfast and made out a little, then they made their way to the building. Callum made a call before they went inside, and then he held her hand. They entered the building with Callum looking confident.
Haris had been waiting. He was in green traditional attire, and his gray hair was slicked back. He looked warm and welcoming as he asked, “Have you made a decision?”
“Yes, but we have our terms.”
Elspeth said nothing as Callum was in control of the whole situation.
“What terms?” Haris didn’t expect them to put up any resistance, and his smile froze.
Callum looked into the old man’s eyes. “Why should I trust you? How can you prove that you know where her mother is?”
“Proof?” Haris folded his fan shut and slammed it on the table. “The truth is right here. You can choose not to believe it, but if you try to waste my time, then I believe there is no need for any negotiations anymore.”
Callum shook his head and cocked his eyebrow. “What if we have something you absolutely will want, then?”
Haris froze, then asked doubtfully, “What is it?”
“The thing you treasure most.”
It was obvious what he was talking about. Haris turned around, looking dark. “Butler, call Jasmine.”
The master is getting mad. He asked, “Now?”
“Now!”
The butler took his phone out and called Jasmine, but nobody took the call. Panicked, he made more calls, but only silence answered him. “Miss Jasmine is missing, sir. I can’t get through to her.” Oh no. He’s getting madder and madder. “I’ll send our men on a search. Calm down, sir.”
Haris took out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Look for her right now. If you can’t find her, all of you are getting it!”
That was the first time Elspeth saw Haris looking flustered. She was amused.
Callum didn’t react, however. He rubbed the cup on the table and calmly said, “You don’t have to look for her.”
Haris whipped his head around, stoop up, and darted over to Callum. He held Callum’s shoulder hard as his eyes gleamed with fury. “You did it, didn’t you? You kidnapped her! Give her back! If anything happens to her, I’ll kill you!”
Callum was stronger than the old man, naturally, and a slight push was enough to send the old man staggering backward. “Calm down, Old Mr. McGrath.” He chuckled and looked at Haris with amusement. “Calm down. I won’t do anything to her, at least for now. And you weren’t that interested in my terms, were you not?”
Haris did not expect something this underhanded. He knew they would try to find Elspeth’s mother and save her, but he never thought they would resort to kidnapping like him. I underestimated them. “So, this is your term?” He took a deep breath and tried his best to stay calm.
Indeed, that one condition was enough for Haris to risk his life.
Jasmine was the McGrath Family’s only heir. If anything happened to her, their bloodline would end here.
Besides, Jasmine and Haris had a close relationship as she grew up under his care.
He had to get her out safely, by hook or by crook.
“Great. I’ll release her mom, and you’ll let Jas go.”
This was the best move for now, as he could no longer execute his original plan.
Elspeth was ready to agree since this was an equal exchange for her.
However, Callum placed a hand on her arm and motioned for her not to agree so quickly. “No. What we want isn’t that simple.”
Haris thought that they could come to an agreement with reason and didn’t expect Callum to suddenly change his mind. “What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing. It’s just that after some thought, it seems that you’ll benefit more from this than we would, and that’s not quite fair now, isn’t it?”
Now that Haris knew where Jasmine was. He wasn’t as worked up as he started bargaining calmly.
“And what is this benefit?”
“Jasmine is your granddaughter. You have a close relationship with her. So, you’ll gain more after this exchange.”
Elspeth suppressed her laughter as she listened to Callum, as he made it seem like that was the case.
Even though what he said made sense, something still felt off.
It felt like he was haggling in a wet market.
“That person is Elspeth’s mother. Why would I gain more from this?” Haris felt that Callum was just pulling his leg now.
“To Elspeth, that woman is just only a woman who birthed her. They don’t have a close bond. So, it’s up to Elspeth if she wants to save her mother.” Callum then diverted the attention to Haris and said, “But, it’s different for you. You both are a true family. Your reaction just now exposed just how important Jasmine is to you.”
Haris inhaled deeply as he tried to restrain his raging emotions. He didn’t expect Callum to see through him when he had made an effort to hide that fact.
If Callum couldn’t become his grandson-in-law, he would become the greatest threat to the McGrath Family.
The Winthrops would destroy the McGraths because of his feud with Callum sooner or later.
Haris had to be careful now as he realized the severe consequences this could lead to.
“Then, what do you want me to do?”
“Honestly, I’m not a greedy person. Just return Elspeth’s mother and promise me that you’ll never work with Arthur again. Of course, you’ll have to sign a contract with me for the second condition just in case you decide to go back on your word.”
Elspeth’s eyes widened in shock.
At first, she thought that Callum wanted to gain something from this. But she didn’t think that he just wanted to stop the McGrath Family from working with Arthur.
This was something she had never thought of.
Elspeth turned her head to look at Callum being his confident self and felt a sense of admiration for him.
This was probably the reason she liked him.
He was always confident while he had contingency plans in place despite being several steps ahead of his opponents. Maybe she had a competency kink, especially since he was scarily calm and collected even when faced with adversity.
His entire being was a fatal attraction to her.
“Why this condition?”
Callum answered calmly, “This is just my personal preference. You can refuse, but you won’t get what you want.”
“You!”
It was apparent that Callum was threatening Haris. If Haris disagreed with his conditions, Callum would not let Jasmine go.
Haris was so infuriated that his restraint crumbled as he snorted, “You punk. You’re more cunning than I am.”
“Thank you for the compliment. I just like to plan ahead.”
Then, Haris pondered on the deal. Arthur was indeed a guy with brains. Regardless, he wasn’t on the same level as Callum. It wasn’t worth it to cross Callum for Arthur.
Besides, Callum only said that he couldn’t work with Arthur. He didn’t say that they couldn’t chat about this setback over tea.
He just needed to be careful and take advantage of this loophole.
Haris thought to himself and nodded with conviction.
“Okay. It’s a deal.”
“Then, let’s sign the contract.” Callum took out a contract from his bag like it was magic.
“I’ve drafted the contract. You just need to go through it and sign it,” he said before sliding the contract toward Haris.
He wasn’t going to give Haris a chance to pipe up or regret his decision now.
Haris felt that he was about to explode as his blood pressure rose to dangerous levels. Besides, he was already taking medication for his high cholesterol, so this was just adding salt to the wound.
He initially thought that this was an easy deal. He just needed to return Elspeth’s mother and then think of a way to weasel out of this.
That was the only reason he agreed so confidently just now.
He assumed that it didn’t matter how competent Callum was; he couldn’t very well have prepared a contract beforehand.
But, he still did!
Haris looked at the contract and laughed awkwardly, “There’s no pen…”
Callum realized his blunder and whisked out a pen from his bag.
“I almost forgot. You don’t carry a pen with you when you’re out. It’s alright. I have one.”
Haris was now stuck on the fence as he clutched the pen and paper in his hands.
Finally, he was left with no other options as he could only pick up the pen and sign his name with a flourish.
Damn it!
“Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. McGrath. I’ll take the contract back now. I hope you can stay true to your words.”
Callum carefully inspected the contract and placed it in his bag after he was sure there was nothing wrong with it.
“As for Jasmine, you’ll need to come to the Winthrop Residence to pick her up. I hope you can bring Elspeth’s mother along when you do.”
Haris wasn’t in a good mood as he was just tricked and demanded impatiently, “When can I pick her up?”
“Well, that depends on how eager you are to see your granddaughter. If you want to see her soon, you can come today. Otherwise, you want to come later. The Winthrops can afford her meals for the time being.”
Elspeth snorted at how shamelessly Callum spoke.
She couldn’t believe he could actually be so wicked. If Haris’ blood weren’t boiling earlier, it would definitely be close to evaporating if it were possible.
“I’ll come by tonight.” Then, Haris stood up and stomped away.
The butler followed obediently behind him and shot daggers at Elspeth and Callum when he passed by.
Nonetheless, Elspeth did her best to quell her laughter when they were still within her line of sight. Once she was certain that they were well and truly gone, only then did she laugh her heart out.
“Are you in a better mood now?” Callum’s voice softened considerably when he was talking to her.
“Of course, I am.” She rose to her feet and stretched. “I didn’t do anything today, but not only did I watch a good drama for free, but I also got a victory out of it.” It would be nice if every day could be as easy as it was today.
It was as if he had seen through her thoughts that a hint of warmth appeared from within his usually cold and stern gaze. “I’ll cover for you whenever you feel like slacking off from now on.”
She raised her eyebrows upon hearing that, and her gaze turned playful. “Is this what married life is supposed to be like?” she teased.
“Well, I can make you this happy every day.” His sudden confession caught her off guard, and for a moment, she felt the innocent feeling that would only stem from the start of a new romance. Instead, she blushed and chided him coquettishly, “Stop it! We’re still outside!”
“It’s okay. It’s just the two of us here.”
Callum had long noticed it—while Elspeth was a confident and fearless woman, she became coy and bashful when it came to matters of love and intimacy. This sense of contrast made her even more attractive to him.
“Didn’t Haris say he’s going to pick Jasmine up soon? We should get going.” She tugged at the corner of his clothes, signaling him to go home early.
Callum couldn’t help but feel a hint of regret that he could not tease her any longer, especially when he was treated to the sight of her flushed face… It only fueled his desire to tease her more. However, he did not expect her to be so shy that she could not stand any teasing. Forget it. I’ll let her off the hook this time.
So, he pinched the tip of her nose and nodded lovingly. “Let’s go home.”
Because Haris had to return to the McGrath Residence to pick up someone else, there was still some time left. So, Elspeth and Callum arrived at the Winthrop Residence before he did.
She actually expected Callum to knock Jasmine unconscious and stuff her in a dark basement. She honestly did not expect that he would lock Jasmine in the room and let her stay there.
When Elspeth pushed the door and entered, Jasmine was still trying to pick the lock. So, Jasmine was understandably stunned when she saw the door suddenly open.
“It’s you? Did you kidnap me here?” Jasmine was still unwilling to blame the real culprit, Callum, for kidnapping her.
Elspeth felt a little speechless when she heard her spiteful remarks. She did not think Jasmine was so head over heels for Callum.
“Why’d you say that?” Jasmine knew nothing of the kidnapping of Elspeth’s mother, and Haris promised not to tell Jasmine about the mother. Therefore, Jasmine was obviously taken aback when she heard Elspeth questioning her. When she thought about it, it indeed seemed that Elspeth had no reason to kidnap her.
“Then, why am I here?” Jasmine had never been to the Winthrop Residence and was blindfolded on the way there, so she could not observe the surrounding environment. She was still clueless as to where she was.
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